Help with Warning Signs

Posted September 12, 2017 by Michael Suarez

Gambling, like drinking alcohol and smoking cigarettes is sometimes a controversial legal activity.But how do you know if or when such an activity is becoming something more harmful? How do we know if the activity has crossed a dangerous line of unhealthiness and how does a concerned friend of spouse address it?

When this type of concern arises, for oneself or another, I always think learning more about the subject is a good place to start. This learning arms the individual with relevant knowledge and gives them a conceptual language to express that struggle. In my program this is language of problem gambling.

Knowledge about problem gambling include a range of topics. Probably the most important for someone with a pending concern is to look up the “warning signs”. Warning signs are widely available, easy to find and understand and simple to apply. Of course, warning signs will commonly lead to the next step of needing or wanting to talk about the concern.

That is, in recognizing the warning signs, the concerned other will often want to address the issue, even if they are not sure how. Certainly, this is an issue I hear a lot when family, friends and spouses affected by problem gambling call for help.

Because the experience of helping someone with problem gambling can often involve a lot of new information and extreme emotions, I often suggest meeting, even if just once, with a certified therapist, who has expertise with the topic. The simple idea underlying this suggestion, is to help the helper, help better–by giving them information and emotional support to use it.

If you have such a concern or need the type of help outlined above feel free to contact us. To learn more about “warning signs” and other gambling topics click on the links below.